Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

In the 13th heat race. Bart Bast took the checkered flag for the win. He wound up finishing third on Sunday's World Cup Ice Speedway finale. Ice Speedway Jillian Roth won the first 250c.c Amateur moto and was leading the second before crashing. Roth went 1-3 for third overall. The start of the second 125cc Pro moto saw Mercedes Gonzales capture the holeshot. Gonzales w9n every mota she competed in. In the Vet Sportswomen ranks, Hartley repeated her first moto performance with a win with LeJani Emery and Kramer following her to the finish. . The 125cc Amateur/ ovice class saw Mercedes' sister Maria Gonzales grab the lead while holding o££ the charges of Corina Chinen and Kelley Maylor. Jeannie Pruitt, however, was on the move out of' midpack on her Kawasaki KX80. First she charged by Maylor and took o££ after Chinen. Two turns later she was in second and looking for the lead. Another lap and she was on Gonzales and looking for a way past.1L took another lap but the 13-year-old rocket was soon leading the amateurs to the checkered £lag. Novice action had Kathy Jo Ehrp holding o££ Candy Hartley and Tina Zahrt until the last lap when her bike broke giving the win to Hartley. Laura Warnecke held o££ Sue Sittman for the 125cc Beginner win. The second moto saw Pruit again leading at the halfway point in the moto. Chinen was holding o££ Gonzales for second and the order ended up that way at the finish. In the Novice class, Hartley again found herself in the lead with Ehrp in second. Zahrt stayed on Ehrp's rear fender waiting for a mistake that came late in the moto when Ehrp crashed. Hartley and her Suzuki took the overall with Zahrt's 3-2 bettering Ehrp's 2-3 for second. In the Men's Exhibition class, Jerry Black led the field to the first turn followed by Bill Scott and Danny Bartholomew. Black immediately opened up a big lead and continued to stretch it out every lap. Scott and Bartholomew battled behind him with Scott finally grabbing second. In the Men's Sportsmen class, Dary I Hawkins. held o££ charges from Jim Cartmell. The Vet class was won by Scott Freeman with Karel Kramer and Tim Morrison rounding out the top three. • Results 250 EX: 1. Mercedes Gonzales lKaw); 2. Vicky Jackson IHon): 3. Lisa Peterson (Yam). 250 AM: 1. Mindy Smith (Kawl; 2. Kim Oler (Yam); 3. Jillion Roth (Hon). 250 NOV: 1. Lori Hedstrom (YamI; 2. Suanne Downey (Suz). 250 BEG: 1. Angie Sellers (Hon); 2. Julie Putnam (Vam). 125 PRO: 1. Mercedes Gonzales (Kaw); 2. Vicky Jackson (Hon); 3. Tara Harrison (Yam). 1.25AM: 1. Jeannie Pruit (Kaw); 2. Corina Chinen; 3. Maria Gonzales. 125 NOV: 1. Candy Hartley (Suzl; 2. Tina 2ahrt (Hon); 3. Kathy Jo Ehrp (Hon). 125 BEG: 1. Laura Warnecke (Hon); 2. Sue Sittman. VET MASTER: 1. Gele Webb (Hon); 2. Susen Wilday (KTM); 3. Denise DeVines (Suz~ VET SPORTSWOMEN: 1. candy Hartley (Suz); 2. Lelani Emery (Suz); 3. Carol Kramer. MENS EXHIBITION EX: 1. Jerry Black (Suz); 2. Bill Scott (Han); 3. Danny Bartholomew (Kawk SPORTSMEN: 1. Daryl Hawkins; 2. Jim Ander- son; 3. James Cannell. VETS: 1. Scott Freeman; 2. Karel Kramer; 3. Tim Morrison. (Continued from page J.I) The first motorcycle heat brought good acti·on. Bart Bast was a lillIe too quick on the start and jumped the flag. Lazor and Ford both fell down in the first lap, requiring a restart. A nice duel between the two on the restart ended in a win for Ford. Ford scraped his fingers in this tangle, on Lazor's tire screws, the ever-present danger in ice speedway. Last year at the Salt Palace, Scott Brown rode for the first time with a handsome frorlt tire guard made by him after the style of the European racers, and a full back fender instead of the half-fender usually used - and ironically was himself badly cut by another bike on the inside of his left forearm. Fortunately, he was treated at the special Burn Unit at a local hospital, or it could have been worse, but he still has a lumpy scar. With the ice remainmg slippery, in heat two sixth-ranked Mike Cortese of New Jersey took the lead, but Ormiston and Eric Rooker, like Ford from Ontario, tangled right away. One of them recovered and then Jaudon went down. On the restart Cortesejumpedoutagain, but Ormiston, havinga good day, overtook him and won by a Ford-style big lead. The third heat saw three riders go down in the first lap, with only Dave Pieper on his wheels. Martin bent his machine and had to borrow one. On the restart, it happened again. In fact, John Boasman, from the relatively new Vancouver Speedway Club, tried to climb the wall in turn two. (Last year, one bike did go over the wall.) Martin won after the third start, on his borrowed bike: By heat fOUT either the iCe was more stable or the riders more cautious. Daily held o££ Ken Pieper in spite of serious attempts to catch him, in which both riders were wide. In heat 13, after two more ATV races, Bart Bast finally "got onto" the ice. He had only ridden ice a couple of times before. And won. It was great to have a Bast best again in the Salt Palace. Heat 14 was a thriller, with Lazor in good form, and Dave Pieper snatching the second from Ormiston the last minute. In heat 17, with Dave Pieper going into the wall on the second lap, Bast took the lead and again hung onto it. During some of the Ford "exhibition" heats, there would be a nice battle for second, as in heat 19 featuring John Lewis and Ormiston, with Ormiston taking it behind Ford. After the next series of ATV races, Bast won another heat. Heat 26 was a fit finale. As Ormis- ton and Martin were dicing, Martin and Shawn Venables collided. Martin went spinning on hi back, separated from the bike, and Ormiston won. The main event included Ford, Lazor, Ormiston, and Bast. First Ford diced with Lazor until Ford gained the Lead. Then Lazor diced with Bast. Lazor slid out, and Ormiston overtook Bast for a Ford, Ormiston, Bast, Lazor finish. Ford was tOssed in the air by his exuberant teammates, then collected his champagne and silver for the orth American and World wins. When asked about his remarkable performance, Ford-said that it was meticulous preparation. He's been at ita long time now, and has tried many diHerent things. The tires are crucial, he ays. This means, since all the riders use the same rubber and the same special ice screws, the preci e arrangemen t of the screws in the tires. Slight variations will make a great di££erence in traction. Additional awards went to Brian Daily as Most Improved Rider, Steve Martin as Rookie of the Year, and the Bob Tetrit::k Memorial Sportsman award to George Lazor. Bob Tetrick was promoter Gary Densford's partner when they started their version of indoor ice speedway 10 years ago. After Tetrick was killed in a accident in his private plane, Gary quit for a while, then was encouraged to restart the series five years ago by his wife Liane, who serves a's an o££icial. ICE is the only regular promoter of ice speedway races in this country, although a few, 'scattered other meetings have been held. At first the sport was so new and small that Densford and Tetrick had to ride themselves. Now, several riders have been with this competition since the Densforas restarted it five years ago. It attracts some of the best speedway talent. And it's snowballing. In January ICE is taking two Americans and three Canadians to Sweden to learn the European version of long-course outdoor ice speedway with s!1ikes. In the midst of this, they will take a week to telilch the Europeans their version of ice speedway. Then in 1988, plans are afoot for the Europeans to come here to compete. Also negotiations are in progress for many more meetings next year than have been held up to now, in both the U.S. and Canada. • Results SATURDAY MAIN (NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIp): 1. Gary Ford; 2. SIeve Manin; 3. Brian Daily; 4. David Pieper. SUNDAY MAIN: 1. Gary Ford; 2. Scott Ormiston; 3. Bert Best; 4. George Lazor. SERIES TOTALS (WORLD CUP) 1. Gary Ford (B9); 2. George Lazor (73); 3. Scott Brown (5B); 4. Brian Daily (55); 5. Steve Manin (49).

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